


Into the Morning

by SeriousPan



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:09:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23816680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeriousPan/pseuds/SeriousPan
Summary: Just drifting through a different life. While nothing is the same, a connection is all you need. This is gonna be a long ride for something as small as love.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lucy Lane
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Working on showing, not telling and descriptive writing. Thank you for taking time out of your day and entertaining me by stopping by.

It’s barely 5 am when she slips out of her apartment, covered in layers upon layers of clothing. As she walks slowly down the street, careful not to slip on the damp sidewalk, she could easily see each breath that exits her body she passes under the street lamps. The yellow glow of the light gives her access toward her destination. While the morning traffic had yet to wake, she could see the slight signs of life down the street. 

Through a large window of a rather small coffee shop, Lucy momentarily stills. While it was the smell of fresh coffee that stopped her, it is the young woman behind the counter that brings her in. 

Swiftly slipping through the door while clasping her hand over the handle, Lucy wanders over towards the cashier. Slightly squinting at the name tag, Kara, Lucy wanders up to the counter. Adjusting her glasses, Kara rewards her with what seemed like a genuine smile. How could anyone be this genuine at 5 am was beyond her. Ordering a medium cup of a black coffee and a toasted bagel to go along with it, Lucy easily settles into one of the many empty tables in the cafe, waiting patiently as her cold body tries to grow accustomed to the manufactured heat that warms the building. Settling her bag carefully beside her, she lightly drums her fingers to the tune of the song playing. Soft, romantic, horribly catchy and haunting; she can’t help but listen to the painful croon of the man coming through. There was something in this song, something that so easily destroyed her momentum, that stopped her very being and called out to her. As much as the song stilled her, the haunting voice that caught her, left her just as quickly.

It is only moments later when her a black coffee and a bagel with a healthy heaping of cream cheese is placed in front of her and a gentle hand is on her shoulder. Extremely efficient, something that may be able to bring her back, among other things. Lifting her head up, she turns to see the girl behind the counter smiling down at her. As if they had met a thousand times before, Kara’s touch seems to be as familiar and comforting as she could imagine. 

“Here’s your black coffee and toasted bagel, Miss,” the young barista states, leaning down just a bit to catch her eyes. “Is there anything else I can get for you,” Kara asks, lingering at her table momentarily.

“No, no thank you,” Lucy quietly states, attempting to keep any sense of self-control she has. 

With a quick nod of the head, the woman with the gentle smile and sparkling blue eyes heads back behind the counter. While taking the first sip of her beverage the soft, mellowing movement of piano keys started up and she had to remind herself to continue drinking while listening to this next one. As if the gods themselves had a handle of her, Lucy was suddenly on her feet headed towards the woman behind the counter. As if sensing her, Kara turned away from the merchandise behind her and looked at Lucy expectantly, a slight smile still playing on her lips. 

Soft lips opened and shut fairly quickly before Kara quirked an eyebrow, looking at Lucy intently. It passed for what felt like an eternity, yet oddly enough, it was this moment that caused Kara to smile even wider and encouraged the girl to softly grasp Lucy’s hand. Tilting her head to the side Lucy opened her mouth slowly and pushed the words out of her mouth.

“This song. The one before it as well. Who is it? What album is it?” Lucy asked as if each question was a thought bubble that Kara could physically touch.

Squinting her eyes momentarily as the shorter woman’s voice popped out, Kara took each question in her mind quickly. Creating a quick inventory of both songs that played, Kara wrote down the artist and the song for her.

“Here you go,” the barista stated softly. Upon receiving the note, Lucy turned her body to head back to her seat. It was the slightest touch really, but it was the kind of touch that burrowed under her skin, past her muscles, and deep into some place she wasn’t fully aware still functioned. Just like moments before, her body did the unfathomable and stopped. Lucy craned her neck around and looked at the slender barista. Instead of chancing the possibility of opening her mouth, she just looks, looks with a moment of curiosity because this woman made the effort to stop her, touch her, connect with her.

“Or... or I can make you a copy of this playlist. All of it’s pretty good, I promise. If, if you just come back tomorrow it’ll be ready for you. I... I mean, if that’s cool with you,” Kara’s stuttered comment comes out, as her grip on Lucy’s wrist lightens. While fingers were still loosely wrapped around her wrist, Lucy's eyes swiftly moved from Kara’s earnest blue ones, down her arms, to where soft hands with long fingers grip her. In reality, it was the lightest touch but somehow these fingers, these measly fingers stopped her will, her entire force.

“That sounds reasonable,” Lucy responds, nodding her head in acceptance. 

Returning to her seat, Lucy finishes up her boffe and takes a few bites of her bagel, listening to one last song before she gathers her things and tosses her trash. With two quick swipes of the table, removing whatever crumbs had settled on her table in the last 14 minutes. With a bag over her shoulder, Lucy is up and on her way to the exit. Turning her head slightly, to catch one last glimpse, a mild disappointment begins to brew in the pit of her stomach when Kara is not behind the counter. Just as her hand slips to the handle, the same soft, genuine touch is on her shoulder already. Even with all the layers of clothing covering her, Kara stops her dead in her tracks. Letting out a shaky breath, Lucy turns her head and sees the beautiful woman smiling at her. Somewhere mixed between a curse and a blessing, Lucy’s entire body seems to be frozen, hoping beyond hope that at least an eyebrow could be raised.

“I... I’m Kara. Just, you know... just thought you should know.”

“I know,” are Lucy’s only words as she nods her head quickly at Kara’s nametag. A moment passes before Kara looks at her expectantly. “Oh. Right. I’m Lucy,” the shorter woman replies lamely. It is this moment, this singular moment that allows Lucy outside of herself to see why it is that she’s alone. Why, for her, it is much simpler to just be aware, but not actually act. Everything was always so awkward and stunted for her. Completely bypassing the entire awkward moment Lucy seems to be grounded in, Kara simply continued on, not giving a second thought to the woman’s delayed response. 

“Okay, cool. It, uh, it was nice meeting you Lucy,” Kara says as she begins to toy with her glasses. Taking them off her face, she slides her fingers through, on, around them, completely keeping her hands busy and Lucy stands there, still just watching the girl. It is only when a customer collides into the door does Kara snap out of it and heads back toward the counter.

“Tomorrow then,” Lucy responds as she turns to head toward the office. It is in the chilled air when she can finally cool off. The sting of her warmed cheeks cool with the touch of the morning atmosphere. 

With the plan of seeing Kara at the forefront of her mind, the workday seems to continuously drag on. The computers seem to take a little too long to boot up, the coffee machine was not nearly as scalding as it should be, the mouth breathing mail guy seems to think that today would be the perfect day to chat her up; it was as if the entire day seems to want to make her suffer till the next morning. When Bryan finally walks away to the next unsuspecting victim on his mail route Lucy’s already had 4 Advils in her hand with a bottle of water at her lips. With the Advil sliding down her throat and her hands reaching for her hidden bag of gummy bears, Lucy scans her screen till it landed on the upper right hand corner: 2:42 pm. Pinching the bridge of her nose, Lucy drops the gummy bears entirely and snatches her bag. In one swift motion her work is abandoned and she’s on her way out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

There’s a soft, gentle light that radiates through the morning, before the sun’s even broken through when Lucy’s out of her apartment. It’s bone achingly cold and her hands seek to create some form of warmth as she ambles toward the corner coffee shop. Walking down the slick sidewalks, she sees the beacon of light from the ceiling to floor windows. It seems to be the only sign of life for miles as she heads toward it. Stopping nearly a block before the shop, Lucy lets out a slight shuddering breath. Ignoring the nauseous feeling that has started to slowly crawl from her gut up toward her through, she trudges toward the building. As her steps take her closer, the gorgous blonde, Kara seems to just be standing there, waiting for her. She is not even through the door when she sees Kara’s arm jet out and start waving. Letting out a soft chuckle under her breath, Lucy pushes the door and enters.   
“Hey Lucy,” Kara yelps loudly as Lucy makes her way to the counter.

“Hey Kara,” Lucy says as she begins to unravel her scarf. “Can I get a medium black coffee and a toasted bagel?” 

“The usual? Sure thing.”

“I don’t know if I’d call it a usual, this is only my second time here,” Lucy counters as she raises an eyebrow at Kara.

“Yeah, but... I dunno, it’d be cool if it was your usual, right?” Kara asks as she rings up the order.

Nodding her head, Lucy places a five dollar bill in Kara’s hand and goes to settle at a corner table. Hanging her bag and scarf on the chair, Lucy settles in and takes a deep breath. She closes her eyes momentarily and takes in a deep breath of the aroma that surrounds this cafe. The opening bars of a piano play as she feels shoulder drop and her head tilts back. It’s when she hears the girl's voice, when she feels the caress of a fingertip on hand that she opens her eyes. Staring straight into her eyes are ocean blue ones. Startled by how close Kara is, Lucy lets out a small cough then clears her throat when she looks up at Kara. Feeling her heart beat faster and her cheeks warm just the slightest bit, Lucy drops her head to the coffee and bagel that’s already sitting in front of her.

“Thanks.”

“It’s uh, it’s not a problem,” Kara responds, giving another smile before walking back towards the counter. 

Taking a sip and pulling away a small piece of her bagel, Lucy slyly lookws toward the counter. Kara is putting more food in the display case when she looks up and their eyes meet. Choking back a small piece of bagel, Lucy looks out away toward the coming light. The early rays of the morning are beginning to take form and she should start making her way toward the office. Letting out a slight huff, Lucy jams the rest of the bagel in her mouth as she begins to start wrapping herself in her coat and scarf. With the wool scarf safely tucked around her neck, Lucy bends down and swipes the remaining crumbs off her table. Heading toward the front door and refusing to embarrass herself any further, Lucy heads toward the exit. 

“Lucy! Lucy,” Kara calls out as she moves past the wooden counter. “Hey, wait up.” 

Lucy stops abruptly and turns her body, raising an questioning eyebrow as she looks to Kara. 

“You forgot,” Kara states.

“Huh?”

Smiling ever so slightly at Lucy, Kara inches in close to Lucy’s ear. “Close your eyes,” she whispers. Following the command, Lucy does as she’s asked.

“Okay, stick out your hand.”

Wrinkling her forehead in confusion, Lucy continues to follow Kara’s prompt. With her right palm up, Lucy feels a tender thumb caress against her palm, it’s a moment later that she feels a piece of plastic get deposited in her hand. She can feel her cheeks begin to blush with just this one move. Immediately opening her hand, she finds a small little puppy keychain. Looking to Kara for clarification, Kara smiles.

“It’s a flash drive? For that playlist I promised I’d make you?” Kara clues her in. 

“Oh. Right, yes. Awesome. Thanks,” Lucy replies as she nods along with Kara. “Thank you. I, uh, I’ll listen to this and get this back to you.”

“No rush. I hope you like it.”

“I will be sure to enjoy it then. I, uh, I should go, but I’ll make sure this gets back to you,” Lucy promises as she shakes the flashdrive in her hand. Giving Kara one last smile in gratitude, Lucy makes her way out of the shop.

As she makes her way down the street, the signs of life seem to pop up. There are headlights on the road and even a few cyclists barreling through. Making her toward the high rise that sits in the center of the city, Lucy fingers the tiny plastic puppy that’s settled into her pocket. Today is a work day she thinks, she’d reward herself at the end of the day. 

It’s nearly 4 hours later when she allows herself to eye the flash drive again. Opening the oakl drawer to the left of her, Lucy taps her desk to an unknown beat. Picking up the flashdrive, she brings it closer to herself to inspect. It’s a little golden and white corgi with a tiny keychain connected to where the collar should be. Silently chuckling at the prop, she doesn’t pay enough attention to the sound of clicking heels that come toward her.

“Whacha got there?” Lois questions, slight grin playing at her lips.

Rolling her eyes, Lusy tosses the puppy into her desk drawer and closes it. Swiveling her chair, she turns to acknowledge her sister. “What’s up?”

“Just asking a question. What is it? You’re not one for cutsie chackies,” Lois counters, completely ignoring her sister’s question.

“It’s nothing,” Lucy nonchalantly replies.   
“Okaaaay. I’ve got the afternoon off and I’m pretty certain you're tired of eating that salad I know you brought with you. Wanna get lunch?,” Lois questions as she takes a slight look at the drawer. 

“Sure, sure. We can do that,” Lucy replies as she shuffles some paperwork into the corner of her desk. Locking her drawer, Lucy stands up and grabs her bag.

“Oh, whatever it is, it must be good if you're ignoring my questions and locking the drawer,” Lois says as she leans in close. “C’mon, tell big sis what you got there,” Lois implores. Rolling her eyes once again, Lucy begins to walk down the hallway, not pausing for Lois. Trying the drawer once, Lois gives it up and heads to the elevator with Lucy.

The sisters end up in a cozy little taco shop only a block away from the building. After receiving their order, Lucy finds the only open table in the establishment, it’s a tiny spot three tables away from the kitchen. Setting their tacos down on the crooked, weathered table, Lucy drops a few napkins next to her al pastor tacos. Lois soon follows with several different bottles of hot sauce that she’s swiped from the salsa bar.

“I got you the green one and the red one,” she says as she deposits a few little cups of pico de gallo next to the tacos. 

“Thanks,” Lucy mumbles as she takes a bit of the fresh, crisp tortilla chips that came with their order. Grabbing the red bottle, Lucy goes to splatter the sauce on two of her three tacos. Soon, the green bottle is spilling out sauce and dripping out onto her third taco. With a few twists of a few slices of limes, and Lucy’s about to munch down on her tacos when the quiet of her companion causes her to pause. Inching an eyebrow up with her face still about to dig in she looks to her sister.

“So, you gonna tell me yet or are you gonna pretend like it was nothing,” Lois questions.

“It’s just flash drive Lois,” Lucy states as she takes the first bite of her taco.

“You’re a terrible liar Luce. Just tell me,” Lois instructs as she twists the lime on her own tacos. Grabbing a few chips, she dips it in the pico de gallo before taking a bite. Looking at her sister, Lois takes her time with her own lunch.

Lucy takes a bite, then another, then another, completely ignoring her sister’s steady gaze. Rolling her eyes, Lucy takes a sip of her small horchata before she lets out a huff. “Look, it’s just a flash drive. It’s nothing,” she rattles out before turning her attention back to her taco.

“A flash drive? Ooooh, exciting. Is it from a client or something? Some important case?” Lois asks.

“It’s from frngfewb...” Lucy mumbles out before she takes a bite out her second taco. Following the taco to the table, Lucy grabs a napkin and wipes at her chin, pulling off any grease that’s dripped onto her chin. Frowning at the bit of grease that’s managed to hit her chin, Lucy takes another bite.

Finally taking a bite of her taco, Lois’ eyebrow curls a bit as she observes her sister. “So, definitely not a case. And seeing as how you actually still have it, means it’s not from one of those creepy dudes at work. Can’t be James because he’s too practical to have a cat flash drive.” Gasping, Lois looks at Lucy with an accusing glare. “Is it from Cat?!”

“You are a horrible journalist sister. It’s a damn dog flash drive and it’s obviously not from Cat, she wouldn’t be caught dead with that kind of flash drive,” Lucy states as she finishes as she takes the last bit of tortilla and swipes it across the paper plate to grab that last bit of greasy flavor that sits on it. Plopping the last bit, Lucy sips her drink till only the ice cubes are left.

“But I was right about everything else Luce,” Lois counters in a singsong voice as she takes the last bite of her taco.

“It’s just a flash drive from a friend,” Lucy shrugs as she starts cleaning up her side of the table. Focusing on the table, Lucy starts to pile the salsa cup and uses napkins on the empty paper plate. Looking to Lois, Lucy arches an eyebrow and nods toward the door. Within seconds, bth sisters are tossing their trash in the bin before they both head out of the crowded restaurant. 

“A friend huh? What’s on it?”

“Some songs is all.”

“Oh? Like a mixtape?”

“Like songs Lois. You’re making a mountain out of a molehill,” Lucy finishes as they begin to head back to the office.

“Well, when you’re ready to tell me about this someone, just let me know,” Lois states as they end up outside Lucy’s building. “I gotta go though. I’ll see you around?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll see you soon,” Lucy replies. In moments, Lois’ arms around her and Lucy is unable to move her arms, rather she chooses to let her arms awkwardly stay at her sides. Nodding her head, Lucy makes a move to stepback away from Lois. Lucy notices the crestfallen look playing across Lois’ face but completely ignores it. Passing along a tight smile, Lucy pulls out her badge and flashes it to Lois as she turns to head into the building.

The rays of the sun have started to disappear into the bay by the time Lucy is headed out of the office. Shoveling her bag over her shoulder, Lucy makes a quick exit out of the building as she east toward her apartment. It’s when she trudges into her home and drops her bag by the door does she let out an immense smile that could easily capture the room. Slipping off her shoes, she makes her way to her laptop and turns it on. Pulling off the little plastic butt of the dog, Lucy inserts the flash drive before doing a tiny victory dance with arms waving in the air before she composes herself and turns to her laptop screen. Opening the little icon that pops up onto her screen, Lucy double clicks on it. In the expanse of the open window, there’s one little file folder labeled “Hi.” Smiling to herself, Lucy double clicks on the file and sees about 12 songs listed in the folder. Quickly dragging the folder to her desktop, Lucy immediately clicks on the first songs and turns on her speaker. The first song is one she actually knows, turning up the volume, Lucy heads to the kitchen for a glass of wine. Relaxing into the leather seat that faces the television, she takes a sip and listens to the crooning voice that whisper-sings into her home. It’s nearly an hour long before the last melodic song ends.

Abandoning her long forgotten glass of wine, Lucy grabs her laptop and descends onto the couch. Tapping her fingers against her lap, she stares at her screen for a moment. Smiling, Lucy creates a new file in the flash drive simply titled “Hey.” With the exception of eating a light dinner, she spends the rest of the evening building a playlist for Kara. Dragging songs in and taking some out before she’s found the perfect combination of about 12 songs that came out to 1 hour and 4 minutes.


	3. Chapter 3

The weekend’s kicked in and Lucy has the comfort of waking up at 6:00 am. Slinking like a cat out of a blanket, Lucy starts her morning routine. Dressed in jeans and a light coat, Lucy throws on a pair of sneakers and heads out of her complex. The sun has already inched into the day and she takes in the crisp air. Slightly shivering at the cold, Lucy makes her way down the familiar street towards the coffee shop. The streets are littered with plenty of other people, some walking, some biking, and even a few roller blading. Stepping over the cracks in the pavement, Lucy takes in a deep breath as she steps into the shop. 

The coffee shop is buzzing with a number of customers and there’s only a few only open tables left. Stepping into the line that heads to the counter, Lucy shifts her body just slightly, lifts her head and looks towards the workers. There’s three people behind the bar, a short redhead making coffee, some skinny white guy warming up the food, and Kara at the register. Letting out the tiniest smile, Lucy plays with the tiny plastic dog in her coat pocket. Trying to gain her composure as she steps closer to the front of the line, all of it quickly leaves her body as soon as Kara spots her, who sends her a huge smile with a short wave directed at her. Trying to will the blush that creeps up her cheeks away, Lucy clears her throat and stills her body. Discreetly shaking off all her nerves with a few flicks of her fingers, Lucy goes to step up to the register. 

“Hey Lucy! Morning. Do you want the usual?” Kara asks as she attempts to blink with one eye.  
Chuckling softly, Lucy nods her head in agreement and pulls out some cash. Taking the cash, Lucy also deposits the little flash driver that Kara had handed her the day before. “Ah, thanks for that. It was an amazing playlist, I really did enjoy it,” Lucy states as she palms the item into Kara’s hand. “I, uh, I made you one too,” Lucy finishes as she slips her hand back into her coat pocket.

“Really? Oh my gosh. That’s great. I’ll be sure to listen to it tonight,” Kara enthusiastically states as she pockets the flash drive and gets Lucy’s change.

“Yeah, of course. It’s no big deal. Just a few songs I like is all,” Lucy finishes as she drops the change into the tip jar.

“Uh, Winn will bring you your order if you just have a seat,” Kara finishes as she realizes there’s still a number of people standing behind Lucy. Smiling at Kara, Lucy nods her head, steps back, and makes her way to the only open table left in the shop. Sitting at the table that’s placed beneath some kind of vintage movie poster, Lucy pulls out her phone. The music that’s filtering out is a bit more chipper, a bit more energetic, and definitely a lot more contemporary. It’s a few minutes later when, Winn, the only male at the shop goes over to her. Giving her an enigmatic smile, Winn places the toasted bagel and medium coffee in front of Lucy.

“Here you go. One toasted bagel and one medium coffee,” Winn states.

“Thanks,” Lucy easily replies.

“Yeah, no problem. Kara says that you’re a regular, but I’m guessing you usually come in earlier, because I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before,” Winn easily states as he loiters at her table.

“Uhm, yeah. I’ve only been here a few times.”

“Cool, cool. Well, welcome to our humble little shop,” Winn states as he gives a slight bow. As he turns to leave, he stumbles into a customer trying to exit a table. Quickly grabbing a table to keep his balance, Winn turns and gives her a slight chuckle before righting himself and clearing the discarded table. “I, uh, I’ll see you around,” he says to her as he makes a quick escape.

Chuckling at his antics, Lucy takes a sip of her coffee before ripping a chunk of her bagel apart. Allowing her eyes to sneak to the counter, Lucy notices that Kara, Winn, and the redheaded girl are all standing in a semi-circle talking. Winn says something that causes the redhead to laugh and Kara to lightly push him. Kara’s hair is tied into a messy bun and she’s wearing a plain blue tee. It’s slightly faded and not nearly as bright as her eyes. The group breaks apart when Kara heads back to the register. It’s after she allows her eyes to drift that she notices the redhead smirking at her. Embarrassed at being caught staring, Lucy chokes her bagel down, clears her throat, and takes a sip of her coffee. Refusing to look at the actual coffee bar, Lucy takes in the decor around the shop. A light green paints the clean store, as huge vintage movie posters hang against the wall. Over towards the bathroom, a cork board full of polaroids hang against the wall. The vibe of the shop definitely creates an indie vibe that Lucy can appreciate. She’s been there nearly an hour with reading the news on her phone when there’s a mild tap on her shoulder. Craning her head, Lucy becomes enraptured by the charmingly timid blue eyes that sit behind thick rimmed glasses. 

“Hey Lucy,” Kara states as she gives a tiny little wave that goes across her chest. “Mind if I sit here? I’m on my break and I, uh, well... I haven’t really gotten a chance to speak to you because it’s busy and all, you know?” Kara rambles out.

“No, of course not, please sit,” Lucy gestures as she slightly shakes her head in understanding. 

Unraveling her little black apron, Kara pulls out the wooden chair and takes a seat. There’s a few moments of silence where Kara just stares at her. It’s disarming to the point where Lucy is unable to say anything of worth and just looks at Kara with a questioning brow. Catching Lucy’s look of confusion, Kara laughs the tiniest bit before actually saying anything.

“Uhm, so. I’m glad you came back. See you’re totally a regular now,” Kara starts off.

Smiling into her coffee, Lucy takes a sip before she nods in agreement. “There’s something charming about this place. And well, you guys really love to heap on the cream cheese, so who am I to say no?” Lucy states as she gives a slight shrug.

“Oh!” Kara states in excitement as if she’s just figured a long unprovable mathematical equation. “So, uh, are you new here?” Kara questions. Before Lucy is able to get a word in, Kara follows up with an “I mean to the city, cuz I know you’re new here to the shop. I mean, unless you’ve been coming in at different hours, then I guess you wouldn’t be new here,” Kara finishes.

“Uhm, no. I’ve never been to this shop before and I’ve actually been living here the past three or four years. Uhm, I guess it’s home? I’ve only just been at my current apartment for a few months though,” Lucy finishes up before taking another sip of coffee. “How about you? Have you lived here long?” Lucy asks before she clears her throat.

“Actually I’ve only been here for 3 years too,” Kara exclaims excitedly. Before Kara can continue on, the alarm on her phone starts blaring. Kara’s out of her seat and attempting to turn off her phone when she looks at Lucy. “I, uh, sorry. I gotta get back to it,” Kara states as she juts her thumb at the counter. Nodding her head in understanding, Lucy gives a small smile and wave as Kara heads back to work. Wiping her table clean, Lucy begins to head toward the door. Tossing one last look at the counter, she sees Kara busy talking to a random customer, ecstatically moving her hands around. With the rest of her coffee in her hands, Lucy makes her way back to her apartment.


	4. Chapter 4

It’s two days later on a Monday that Lucy’s swiftly moving through the doors of the shop. The sun’s already up, there’s people actually in line, and the annoyance from the lateness of it all is building in her body. It’s not just Kara working and it’s not just her being the only customer. Running her fingers through her hair, Lucy looks up just in time to see the customer step out of line. She steps and sees Kara’s blinding smile waiting for her as she steps up. Feeling some of the tension recede from her body, Lucy droops just the slightest bit.

“Hey Kara, can I get my usual, but to go?” Lucy asks tiredly.

“Sure thing Luce. I noticed that you weren’t here at your usual time. I was a little bit worried, but Alex said that you were probably just running late or that you were busy or something, Everything okay?” Kara asks as she rings up the order.

“Yeah, it’s just Monday and Mondays are never a good thing,” Lucy states as she hands Kara the cash.

“Every Monday?” Kara questions pulling out the change.

“Every. Single. Monday,” Lucy replies as she drops the change into the tip jar.

“Well, why don’t we change that?” Kara asks as she fishes into her apron. Smiling brightly, Kara pulls out the flash drive and hands it to Lucy. After passing the little piece of plastic to Lucy, Kara’s finger’s push up as her glasses tip forward just the tiniest bit. “I made you a new playlist. It’s uh, it’s a little bit more upbeat. I thought it would be a nice way to start the week, you know?”

“Thanks Kara,” Lucy replies, but before she could continue the conversation any further, the redheaded barista behind the counter calls out her name. Snapping her head to the left, Lucy tosses a goodbye wave to Kara before she goes to the other end of the bar for her coffee and bagel. Nodding her head in thanks, Lucy picks up her items as the redhead continues to smirk at her. 

By the time she makes it into the office, even Tim is at his ask. The slight euphoria that she was able to catch at the coffee shop is already spent as she makes her way over to her desk. Turning on her desktop, Lucy pulls out the little container of cream cheese that was bundled up with her bagel. Skipping the whole process of actually applying the cream cheese, Lucy rips a piece of bagel and uses it to get a large chunk of cream cheese. Taking a solid bite, Lucy places the flash drive in her top oak drawer and goes about setting up for her morning routine. 

It’s a bit past noon when Lucy drops the stack of files she’s been cradling in her hand. Setting the highlight down Lucy cracks her neck the right, then the left. Sliding her fingers against the smooth gains that build her desk, her left hand settles on the handle and pulls the drawer. Craning her head just slight, she eyes the little plastic corgi that makes up the flash drive. Letting out a little smile, Lucy inserts her flash drive while fishing out a pair of earbuds. Double clicking on the flash drive, again Lucy spots one file. As the file pops up, Lucy lets out a smile and clenches her right fits in victory when she sees the title of the folder. Set right in front of her, Lucy sees 10 digits that she’s fairly certain makes out a phone number. Biting her lip to try to hold in a smile, Lucy pulls out her phone and inputs the number. Tapping her foot in excitement Lucy looks around her desk, stands up and walks to a discrete hallway away from her coworkers. Looking around real quick, Lucy yelps out a whispered “Yes!” and does a little dance. Moments later, she composes herself, shakes her fingers, and walks back to her desk. Taking a deep, calming breath, Lucy puts on her earbuds and begins to listen to the playlist. The opening song is light, bounces through the chorus and is definitely much more uplifting than the previous set of songs she received. Picking up her highlighter, Lucy taps it against the desk as she begins to look back at the stack of files on her desk.

Dusk has settled in and the waning light that’s slowly fading, creates the slimmest bit of glow as she makes her way up the stone steps that line her apartment building. Walking into her 4th floor apartment, Lucy closes the door, locks it, drops her bag and slips out of her shoes. Looking around at the empty room, Lucy suddenly does a jump and a min-dance as she swings the keychain portion of the flash drive around her finger. Grabbing her laptop she turns it on, sticks in the flash drive, and looks at her phone. She opens up her text message and looks at the draft that sits at the top of her message. Saved, for the past 5 hours is a simple “hey Kara” she hasn’t actually sent yet. Pursing her lips, Lucy studies the phone before she places it next to her and starts working on a playlist for Kara. Attempting to match the tempo of Kara’s playlist, Lucy filters through a number of songs that nearly the entire evening before she decides on the perfect 11 songs that will make this playlist. Labeling it “Dinner?” Lucy lets out a little giggle and ejects the flash drive before she could change her mind.

It’s nearing 11 pm when she looks back at her phone. Realizing the time, Lucy lets out a loud, horrible squeal as she physically cringes at her laps in timing. Look at her draft text, she bites her lips and whines something similar to a drowning lemur before dropping her phone. Releasing a heavy sigh, Lucy drops her phone and heads to the kitchen. As if on cue, her stomach makes a loud gurgling noise and she’s quite sure her stomach acids have started to eat the inner linings of her body when she pulls out a ramen. Setting the water to boil, Lucy spends the rest of her evening eating a package of ramen and periodically eyeing her phone suspiciously.


	5. Chapter 5

It’s Tuesday morning and the sun isn’t up yet, but there’s a morning glow that dusts the city as Lucy makes her way through the paved roads of the city. With just a bit more energy than the day before, Lucy’s got the slightest little bounce in her step. The crisp morning air feels more refreshing than chili. Seeing that the cafe is deserted Lucy does a quick double take of her outfit before she heads in. Kara’s not anywhere to be seen by the time she makes it to the counter, Placing her hands on the counter, Lucy looks to her left, her right, then quickly behind her before she calls out a “hello?” 

“Sorry! I’ll be right there,” comes the reply that is definitely NOT Kara’s voice. Furrowing her brow in confusion, Lucy waits a moment for the new voice to arrive. The redheaded barista who has a tendency to smirk at her enters from the back office and walks toward Lucy with a larger than life amount of self assurance. 

“Hey Lucy,” the woman states easily. “Want your usual?” 

“Yeah, sure. Sounds good,” Lucy mumbles, slightly confused at how this barista knows what her usual is.

“I’m Alex by the way.”

“Lucy,” she replies in acknowledgement. 

“Kara says you come here a lot.”

“On occasion.” 

“Oh, well, if you were looking for Kara she actually has the day off,” Alex follows up as she starts ringing up the order. “I’m sure she’ll be bummed that she didn’t see you today.” 

Weary of the conversation at hand, Lucy slips Alex her payment. Pursing her lips, Lucy turns to walk towards the front of the cafe and takes a seat by the window. Releasing the flash drive that had been sitting in her coat pocket since the night before, Lucy pulls out her phone and looks at the message to Kara that’s been sitting as a draft for the past 18 hours. Tapping her finger against the clean table top, Lucy stares at the phone, as if staring at it would actually change the content of the message.

“Lucy, your coffee and bagel are ready,” Alex yells across the room.

Quirking an eyebrow, Lucy looks around, then stands and heads over to the bar to pick up her order. Standing by the bar, Alex waits for Lucy to approach before she picks up a rag that is right beside her. As Lucy picks up her order, Alex inclines her head just the slightest bit before she goes to wipe down the counter. Picking up her order, Lucy heads back to the corner of the store. Taking a bite out of her bagel, Lucy continues to inspect her phone. She taps on the message and erases the “hey Kara” that lamely haunts her and types in “I think you’re cute,” before she erases the message just as fast and takes a sip of her coffee. Closing her eyes, Lucy drops the phone and allows the bitterness of the coffee to travel down her body. 

“Who ya’ texting?” Alex asks with ease, as if they’ve known each other for decades.

Even with her eyes closed, Lucy fights off the eye roll that nearly drops as she swipes her phone off the table and places it face down into her lap. Opening her eyes, she notices that Alex has the same cocky smirk that seems to just live on her face.

“I don’t think it’s any of your business what my phone does,” Lucy answers as she jams a piece of bagel into her mouth.

Alex puts her arms up in mock surrender and continues wiping the empty tables near Lucy. “Sorry, didn’t mean to bother. Was just curious is all.”

“Just a friend,” Lucy answers before taking a sip of her coffee to clear out her mouth. 

“Anyone I know?” Alex questions.

“The only person we have in common is Kara,” Lucy hastily replies.

“I know,” Alex says with another damn smirk playing at her lips.

“Looks like it’s about time I head out. Have a nice day,” Lucy replies without even checking the time. Lifting an eyebrow in challenge Lucy stands up, wipes her table clean, and walks around Alex to go towards the door.

“Have a nice day,” Alex yells. “I’ll tell ara you stopped by,” is all Lucy hears once she’s passed the door.

It’s almost 11 when Lucy makes her way into the staff break room. Opening the refrigerator, she bypases the week-old milk and goes over someone's leftover casserole to pull out the mini-personal salad that sits at the corner of the fridge. As soon as she closes the door and turns her body, she collides into a much softer, smaller body.

“Little Lane, whatcha doing?”

“Nothing much. Just about to eat lunch, what’s up?”

“Wanna ditch that sad salad and grab a burger salad with me?” Cat asks quickly while she tugs on Lucy’s salad. Lucy lets go of the salad and allows Cat to guide her out of the room. 

“Cat, for the last time, it’s not a burger salad. It’s simply a protein style burger,” Lucy counters. Rolling her eyes as she lets Cat toss her salad in the mini trash can that sits between the sink and the vending machine. Interlacing their finger, Cat drags Lucy through the pristine hallway, down the elevator, and three blocks to some greasy dinner with the crispiest shoestring french fries Lucy’s ever tasted. Snagging one of Lucy’s fries, Cat leans in close watching Lucy intently. Not giving way to anything, Lucy gives Cat a pointed look.

“I saw your sister this weekend. Ran into her and Kent at some after hours shindig I had to attend,” Cat mentions as forks just the tiniest bit of lettuce. “How are things between the two of you?”

“Same as usual I think? I don’t know,” Lucy shrugs as she answers. “We had lunch last week. She’s ok I guess.”

“Oh god, now honestly Lane. I find your sister to be the most annoying little cretin that exists but you guys should really put aside whatever weird emotionally stunted relationship you guys have and just be normal,” Cat lectures as she waves another one of Lucy’s french fries around. 

Rolling her eyes, Lucy pulls her french fries closer to her as she lets out a sigh. “Look, I don’t know okay? Would it be great if Lois and I were like normal siblings? Sure, but life’s not that easy and Lois is nearly as annoying as you. I can’t help it, I think things will always be slightly... weird between us,” Lucy replies before she takes a bite out of her cheeseburger. 

Cat regards Lucy for a second while she forks a bit of her protein style burger into her mouth. “Well, since you can’t fix that for the moment, anything else new,” Cat questions after taking another bite of her ‘salad.’ “You talking to Olsen yet? Or are you still pretending that you’re over him?”

“Please Cat, James Olsen is not my end-all-be-all. There was a relationship, now there isn’t. I mean, we’ve literally been broken up for months now,” Lucy says before taking the last bite from her burger.

“Yeah, but you were with him for like 3 years before that,” Cat counters while pointing her fork at Lucy.

“I’m fine. Life’s ok and I like living by myself,” Lucy says and she pushes her basket of fries closer to Cat.

“Well, since you’re doing fine and whatever, you wanna come over for dinner tonight? Drink some wine, order some food, maybe hang out a bit,” Cat asks as she gives Lucy a lingering look.

Letting out a soft sigh, Lucy gives Cat a soft look. Placing her hand over Cat’s, Lucy gently thumbs the top of her hand. “I know Cat, but I just... I just don’t think it’s a good idea. I mean, don’t get me wrong, if you weren’t my best friend we’d probably be having hot, dirty sex at this moment, but sadly you are my best friend, and you and I both know that’s a bad idea.”

“Can’t blame a girl for trying Lane,” Cat shrugs as she finishes the last bit of Lucy’s french fries. “Does this by chance have anything to do with a flash drive?” Cat questions, giving Lucy a ludicrous grin. “Big sister told me about some kind of magical playlist from some kind of secret admirer?”

“You and Lois hate each other. What the- how the hell are you both so willing to set aside your hatred of each other to gossip about me?” Lucy asks as her eyebrows create a deep crease. 

“When you’re stuck in a room with nearly 100 old white men, there’s nothing better to do than gossip and drink and I was already drunk,” Cat responds as she gives Lucy a wink. “Anyways, so who’s making you playlists and all that? How very old school and subtly romantic, by the way.”

“It’s just a friend. A few songs I’ve never even heard of were playing, and I asked her who it was, and then she made a playlist. That’s all,” Lucy says as she dips her face down to take a sip of water.

“Don’t hide your face from me Little Lane. I know when you’re trying to be coy and hide a blush. So what were you doing when you heard these songs,” Cat questions with far too much interest.

“I was at a coffee shop, okay? I stopped in for some coffee before heading to the office and I was the only customer in there, and these damn songs were haunting my very life. Then, she went and made me a playlist that I listen to almost nightly because for some psychotically weird reason I like to feel calm and destroyed before I fall asleep,” Lucy finishes as she looks Cat straight in the eye. And now she’s looking at Cat and Cat’s looking at her, and Cat’s eyes are like saucers, and her eyebrows are definitely too high, and Lucy drops her head in her hands.

“Okay... What the hell just happened?” Caat questions.

“She gjsgkj,” Lucy mumbles into her hands.

“Come again Lane?”

Lifting her head up, Lucy focuses on her fingers that play with the slight indents that litter the table. “I said, she made me another playlist... After I made her a playlist... And she titled her new playlist with her number,” Lucy finishes as blush nearly as bright as her ruby red lipstick goes up her cheeks.

Letting out a whistle, Cat leans in and playfully slaps Lucy’s hand. “Holy crap. That is so nauseatingly cute I almost want to vomit a little,” Cat exclaims in excitement. “So, wait, let me get this straight. You befriended a barista, you guys trade playlists on flash drives, and on one of the playlist, she gave you her number? And? Have to texted her? Are you giving her your number on the playlist?”

“I... I haven’t texted her yet. I’ve had her number in my phone and a draft saved but I don’t know what to say... but on the playlist I made her I titled it “Dinner?” so maybe I won’t text her and I’ll just give her the playlist. I tried to give her the flash drive this morning but she wasn’t in so I couldn’t even give it to her. Everytime I think about the text, it freaks me out. Genuinely freaks me out. What do I type,” Lucy frustratingly states as she rubs her eyes for a moment. 

“Lucy, look, if you’re gonna see her tomorrow, just give her the playlist and flirt with her for a bit. If she’s not in tomorrow, then don’t text her, just call her. Call her, freak out, feel the butterflies, then ask her out. Though to be honest, I never would have thought you’d be the shy type. If she’s able to throw you off your game this much, then she must be pretty damn hot, right?” Cat asks, trying to extract as much information as possible.

“She is hot. And she’s cute. And gorgeous. And she dismantles me completely. How can I even say that about some girl I haven’t even spent more than 30 minutes talking to? But Cat, you have to understand, she’s tall and she looks athletic. And her hands are so soft and she has this calming aura. Her smile stuns me because she seems so genuinely happy and good and amazing. She has these piercing blue eyes that feel like they can see every single flaw I have, every single hard edge that always stopped James, and... and they just don’t care. How can I get all these feelings from just a few days of chit-chat?” Lucy drags on as she looks at Cat. Seeing Cat’s uninhibited smile, Lucy just lets out a breath and rolls her eyes. “I can’t really properly explain all of this and that’s the worst part. I talk for a damn living and this woman has managed to take my words.”

“You know. I don’t know how you could’ve been James so long, because you seriously sound so gay,” Cat says, barely holding in her laughter. “And that hard edge that James could never get through? I’m pretty sure that’s just you being even more gay,” Cat teases. At Cat’s response, Lucy scoots closer to Cat, and pushes her left shoulder roughly. Cat lets out an even harder laugh, snorting just a bit at the end causing Lucy to give a slight chuckle. “Okay, but seriously, just give her the flash drive tomorrow and ask her out. If she gave you her number she’s obviously interested. Stop being lesbian and over analyzing every single breath she takes,” Cat wisely states.

“Okay, okay. Let’s get out of here. You need to walk me back and I need to get back to the office,” Lucy states as she put her hand out for Cat to take. Standing up with Lucy’s help, Cat continues to hold Lucy’s hand as they make their way out of the restaurant.

“Alright Miss Lane. Let’s go, don’t wanna slow your day down anymore. The sooner you get back to work, the sooner you finish, the sooner you get to see the love of your life,” Cat jokes.


	6. Chapter 6

The sun has barely made it past the horizon and Lucy is a block form the shop when she makes a stop at the crosswalk and pulls out her phone. Pulling it out, she turns on her front facing camera and check her make-up, after triple checking the state of her face, she slides the phone back into her coat, right next to the flash drive, and flags the fresh air to her face, willing any chance of a warm blush that may spring up. Letting out a deep breath, she decides to give herself a pep talk. “Okay, don’t embarrass yourself and play it cool,” she barely mumbles as she walks into the store. There are a few customers sprinkled throughout the cafe. Eyeing Kara at the register, Lucy gives a little hello wave as she sees Kara’s smile grow just a smidgen more. Seeing Alex behind the bar a few feet from Kara, Lucy gives a slight nod.

“Hey Kara, I missed you yesterday,” Lucy says as she steps out and starts to pull out her cash.

“You did?! Me too!... I mean, it was weird not seeing you, is all. Yeah, just taking my day off and everything, you know... Well, I mean, you know, I’m sure you take days off too. I...uh, anyways, it’s good to see you this morning!” Kara states excitedly. “So, uh, did you have a chance to check out my playlist?” Kara meekly asks as she rings up Lucy’s order.

“Yea, i enjoyed it, it cheered me up,” Lucy says as she slides the cash, along with the flash drive into Kara’s waiting hand. “I, um, I made you a new playlist as well.”

“Oh yea? Then I’m excited to listen to it. I wasn’t sure if you had a chance to... you know, see it,” Kara calmly states. “But if... If you saw it.. That means.. Well, well... Listening to this will be the first I do when I get out of work,” Kara says as she gives Lucy a rueful smile.

Before Lucy has a chance to reply, she hears Alex call her from down the bar. Shooting Kara a tiny smile, Lucy grabs her order and heads to an empty table in the middle of the seats. As she settles into her seat she looks up and sees Kara’s eyes on her. Catching Kara’s sparkling gaze, she throws a little wink, smile, pulls apart a piece of her bagel. A blush comes onto Kara’s cheeks as bright as an apple as she ducks her head and heads into the backdoor. Tapping her fingers against the desk in victory, Lucy tips a sip of her coffee and has another bite of her bagel. A few minutes later, Lucy is finishing up her bagel, clearing her table and about to head out the door. Kara is animatedly explaining something to Alex as she’s making sneaking glancing toward Lucy. The moment Lucy’s out of the door, she pulls out her phone. Glancing back, Lucy bites her lip, pulls out her phone and sends a quick text. “Have a nice day, Kara,” Lucy finally sends out as she heads toward the looming building stationed in the center of the city. 

Finishing the last bit of paperwork from the pile that had been living on her desk for the past 3 weeks, Lucy sticks the files in her bag, turns off her computer and heads out for the day. The crisp, cool ait encourages Lucy to skip the cab and just take the 4 block stroll. Coming upon an older brick building, Lucy gives her ID to the security, grabs a “visitor” sticker and heads up the wooden elevator. Stopping by the 3rd floor, Lucy swings by the HR department and drops the hefty file folder containing a significant pile of paperwork in Susie's bin. After making a few minutes of small talk, Lucy heads for the elevator and goes another 3 flights up. Walking through the bull pin, Lucy stops at Cat’s desk and slightly knocks over a tiny cup of mechanical pencils and ball point pens. Seeing a fist hammer down on their desk, Lucy smirks as she hears a few curse words.

“What the fu- Little Lane, what the hell?” Cat annoyingly replies as she pick up the cup and scoops up the pencils and pens.

“Just wanted to mess with you Cat,” as she smirks at the older woman.

“Was just dropping off some paperwork down at your HR and wanted to come up and say hi is all,” Lucy says as she makes herself comfortable at the corner of Cat’s desk.

“And did you see your cute little barista this morning?” Cat questions as she slaps at Lucy’s hand when she picks up, looks at, then drops several random objects from Cat’s desk.

“Hey, she’s not little. She’s like.. She’s like this towering goddess with this astounding smile that stuns,” Kara dreamily states.

“Ah... and did you finally text her? Ask her out? Show her your playlist?” Cat slyly remarks with just a hint of innuendo that Lucy can feel a blush coming on.

“Yeah, yea, I gave her the flash drive this morning and I even tex- holy shit. Holy crap!” Lucy yelps as she pulls her phone out of her bag. “I’ve been so busy trying to finish up the HR paperwork for your company that I completely have  _ not _ checked my phone yet,” Lucy says while digging through her bag.

Standing up in one swift motion, Cat is by Lucy’s side in seconds, knocking their shoulders together as she peeks over to see Lucy’s phone.

“What are you doing Cat.”

“I am looking out for the well being of my best friend,” Cat states as she tugs on Lucy’s arm. “Also... you know I can’t help these things.”

Lucy finally pulls the phone out of her bag when she sees the notification light coming on. Unlocking her phone, Lucy pulls up the notification and sees that there’s a reply from Kara. Feeling a shove at her shoulders, Lucy pushes back and attempts to read the message before Cat pushes her again.

“Kitty Cat, always so close to my sister,” Lois says as she makes her way to Cat’s desk.

“Well, that’s what best friends are, Lane. Well... usually sisters are too, but we can’t win them all, can we,” Cat snidely remarks.

“Retract the claws, Kitty Cat.”

“Will you two both just shut up,” Lucy says, not looking away from her phone.

“What’s that Lucy,” Lois says as she crowds in close to Lucy and Cat.

Ignoring the other two, Lucy focuses on the text trying to actually turn the letters into words. 

_Kara:_

_ Uhm, who is this. How’d you get my number... or is this a mistake??? _

_ 8:22 am _

_ But you said Kara.  _

_ 8:23 am _

_ Is this Lucy?  _

_ 8:23 am _

_ Hi Lucy!!! _

_ 8:23 am _

_ I’m on my break and you’re probably working.  _

_ 8:24 am _

_ And now I’m just texting into a seamless void _

_ 8:26 am _

_ Yes! Yes! Dinnnner sounds great!!! :D _

_ 1:27 pm _

_ *Dinner _

_ 1:27 pm _

_ God. I really hope this is Lucy or this will be so embarrassing and just in case this isn’t, I’m sorry. _

_ 1:29 pm _

“Little Lane, I’m so proud of you,” Cat says as she pats Lucy on the shoulder.

“What’s going on? Lucy, is this about that mysterious cat flash drive?” Lois questions as she tilts her heads up in an attempt to get a look at Lucy’s screen.

“It’s just Kara you guys,” Lucy states in a tight, controlled voice.

“Kara? Who’s Kara?”

“Little Lane’s new girlfriend, Lane. Try to keep up,” Cat says as she nudges Lois away.

“You have a girlfriend? Wow. I guess you really did get over Jimmy.”

“Lois, shut the hell up. The break-up was mutual. Cat, Kara is not my girlfriend. Both of you, just keep quiet. We’re just gonna go out for dinner,” Lucy says after scoffing at the both of them.

“Are you replying?” Cat questions just as Lois says “Why haven’t you mentioned anything before?!”

“Shut up. Just... Just let me think,” Lucy replies as she pulls up her message to reply.

_ Lucy: _

_ Hey Kara. Yes, this is Lucy. I’m glad you got my message. Text and Flash drive. ;) _

_ 3:48 pm _

Turning off her screen, Lucy slides the phone into her bag and nudges both Cat and her sister as she attempts to maintain her cool composure. Turning a cocky grin to Cat, Lucy’s eye twinkle with excitement as Cat’s grin gets bigger by the second.

“Finally!” Cat exclaims in excitement.

“Ok. The both of you need to shut up. I’m only getting pieces and I want to know what’s going on,” Lois states as she slaps her hand to the desk.

All three women are standing there, no one moving, but Lois can see the excitement emanating from both women. The annoyance builds up as Lois begins to tap her fingers against Cat’s desk, perking her lips in annoyance at being excluded. Both women stop their telepathic victory dance and give Lois their attention. Clearing her throat, Lois stands in front of both women and waits expectantly. 

“Kara is a barista I met last week. I texted her this morning and now we’re gonna go to dinner. That’s it,” Lucy states as she offers a challenging eyebrow to Lois. Lois lifts up both hands in defeats and nods along.

“Okay sister. I get it, I get. Enjoy your date. Just keep me updated ok,” Lois softly requests.

“Okay, I’ll uh, I’ll try to be better about that,” Lucy concedes.

“Kitty Cat,” Lois gripes as she begins to leave. 

“Lane,” Cat calls as Lois makes her retreat. Cat moves in closer and pinches Lucy. Letting out a quiet yelp, Lucy pushes Cat momentarily. She rights herself then shares her screen as Cat scoots over and peers over her shoulder to see the text. Before Cat can say anything a notification for Lucy comes up.

“Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! You got a text. What’s she saying,” Cat excitedly says as she looks at the screen.

“Holy crap. Hold on and let me check,” Lucy responds as she pulls up the text.

_ Kara: _

_ Lucy! I’m so glad it was you. It would have been very embarrassing if I was just texting and talking to a random stranger. _

_ 3:54 pm _

_ Lol. Also, I’m glad you got my playlist message.  _

_ 3:54 pm _

_ Lucy: _

_ Since we both want to go out for dinner, are you free tonight by chance? _

_ 3:56 pm _

Looking up at Cat, Lucy waits for Cat to finish reading what she typed. Feeling Cat’s grip on her arm tighten as she finishes reading the text makes her giddy with excitement.

“She’ll say yes, right?” Lucy questions as they both continue to stare at the screen while waiting for a response.

“She’ll definitely respond. No one in their right mind wouldn’t respond to you Luce,” Cat confidently states. Before they could further discuss anything, Cat sees the response and drops a triumphant smirk.

_ Kara: _

_ That sounds great, Lucy _

_ 3:58 pm _

_ I’m free after 7 tonight, that ok by you? _

_ 3:58 pm _

_ Lucy: _

_ Sounds great, I’ll text you in a  _

_ bit about details. _

_ 3:58 pm _

_Kara:_

_ K _

_ 3:58 pm _

“Where should I take her? Some place super fancy or casual? Sushi? Sushi’s always a good date place. Restaurants are always intimate and the foods always good, right? Right. Sushi. Do you think she knows this is a date? What if she thinks we’re just going as friends?” Lucy drones on as she looks to Cat

“Shut your mouth Lane. She’d be a damn fool to not want to date you. Anyways, she’s obviously excited you texted her and probably relieved you didn’t just ignore her and pretend like you never noticed her number as the playlist title and didn’t just make up some kind of “please stop talking to me, and let me drink my coffee in peace” playlist,” Cat states forcefully. “Also, sushi sounds like a great idea. You should wear something semi-casual... maybe a cute little green dress. It’ll bring out your eyes, give you an extra little glimmer that she won’t be able to resist you, but nothing too sexy, you don’t wanna kill the poor girl. Don’t go overboard with the make-up, you don’t need it. I’m sure when she sees you, she won’t even know what hit her,” Cat states softly as her thumb gently strokes Lucy’s forearm. “You should probably go and get ready. Knock her dead and all that.”

Biting her lip in excitement, Lucy turns just slightly to her left and engulfs Cat in a earnest hug, while whispering a “thank you.” Taking in a deep breath, she rubs Cat’s back and pulls back. Nodding her head, Lucy shoots Cat a genuine smile and nods her head softly as she picks up her bag. As she’s heading out of the cubicle she hears Cat’s voice loudly declare “and you damn well better fill me in on all the deets after this date, Lane!”


	7. Chapter 7

It was an unusually warm spring evening when Lucy received the text from Kara saying that she was outside. Grabbing the small leather purse, Lucy slipped out of her apartment in a red and white polka dot dress that cutoff just above her knees and some simple strappy sandals. Dressing comfortably, as Kara has advised her earlier, Lucy paced down the stairs, toward the exit. Once reaching the bottom of the stairs, Lucy sees Kara by the door in a simple pair of black slacks, a light green button up shirt, with a black cardigan. Seeing straps around her shoulder, Lucy arches a questioning eyebrow at Kara.

“Oh! We’re going on an adventure this evening, c’mon,” Kara states as she tugs on Lucy’s hand and starts walking down the sidewalk. Stopping abruptly, Kara turns to Lucy with a look of shock drawn on her face. “Wait, I did this wrong.” Pushing her glasses up, Kara turns her body completely to face Lucy. Holding Lucy by the shoulders, Kara looks into Lucy’s emerald green eyes and lets out a deep breath. “Lucy, you look beautiful. I’m sorry I didn’t acknowledge that when you stepped out the door. But yes, you look very pretty and just... wow,” Kara sternly states while trying to hide the blush that’s made its way up her neck onto her cheeks. Almost immediately, Lucy's head drops while Kara, with her hands still on Lucy’s shoulders, begin to tremble. Just as she’s about to remove her grasp from Lucy, she feels the woman’s body begin to shake, when her head bobs up and she lets out a large peal of laughter. Looking up at Kara, Lucy sees a meek look of surprise pass over her face. Leaning her head towards Kara’s hand, Lucy places a soft kiss before saying “you’re just too cute,” before she pulls Kara’s hand from her shoulder and clasps it. “C’mon, let’s find this adventure.”

It’s nearly 6:30 when they end up in a random suburban neighborhood in the outskirts of the city. Walking hand-in-hand, Kara pulls Lucy a bit as she begins to slow.

“Uhm, Kara, why exactly are we in a neighborhood?”

“Adventure! It’ll be fun I promise,” Kara states as the two ladies cut through a well worn sidewalk slightly hidden between two houses at the end of a cul-de-sac.

“Do you live here?”

“No way, I don’t have enough to buy a house yet. Why would you ask me that,” Kara asks as she pushes away a few birds of paradise plants that line the sidewalk.

“Because we’re in a random neighborhood and I’m assuming we’re going to a backyard,” Lucy states as she ducks under a few of the plants, still holding Kara’s hand.

“No, we’re not. We’re gonna have a nice picnic here,” Kara amusedly states as they get to the end of the sidewalk. 

Looking past Kara’s shoulder, Lucy sees a suspension bridge that reaches across to another random street across an untouched canyon. Kara laces their fingers together as the bridge begins to sway as the ladies make their way onto the bridge. Stopping in the middle, Kara takes off her backpack and puts her handout for Lucy to help her take a seat. Facing the western side of the canyon, Kara begins to pull the meal from her black backpack. A couple of wrapped sandwiches, a few bottles of water, and a large bag of chips soon appear between the two. Looking over the eucalyptus trees that litter the bottom of the canyon, Lucy happily accepts a wrapped sandwich as Kara begins to pull open the bags of ships.

“I was once at this random house party, and honestly, house parties aren’t my thing. I actually got dragged to it by Alex and Winn and they were having such a fun time. I kinda just got bored so I ended up leaving the house and was walking around the neighborhood and ended up here. It was probably too late to be out by myself but the moon looked amazing and I was able to get a breath of fresh air. Instantly fell in love with this place,” Kara explained as she tossed a few chips in her mouth, while unwrapping her sandwich. 

“This place is amazing,” Lucy says looking around. “I never even knew it existed, do you come here often.”

“I don’t come here that often. I love this place, but I always feel like I should have a good reason to be here, you know. Oh! I picked up banh mi’s, they’re Vietnamese sandwiches, I hope you don’t mind. One’s the combination pork and the other is bbq pork,” Kara explained as she placed her sandwich down.

“Naw, I love banh mi’s. Did you get these at Saigon Sandwiches? No lie, those are the best,” Lucy excitedly explains as she pulls her sandwich apart.

“Saigon Sandwich is definitely my favorite one too! They always pile so many carrots in it that I feel like my jaw unhinges while eating. Do you wanna do halfsies so we can both get a little of each,” Kara asks as she lifts up her uneaten half of the sandwich towards Lucy. Nodding her head in an affirmative, Lucy places the untouched half on to Kara’s wrapper and gladly takes the offered sandwich. Mumbling a thanks, Lucy places it down and continues eating her sandwich.

It’s nearly 7 when the ladies finish the meal. Crumpling up the wrappers, Kara takes the trash and sticks it in her backpack and scooches beside Lucy. Lightly knocking shoulders, Lucy smiles at Kara. As both women look to the oncoming sunset that’s barely lingering over the houses and hills that make their view, Lucy feels the slightest finger caress against her splayed hand. Tensing slightly at the single pinky that surprises her, Lucy loosens a smidgen and leans her head against Kara’s shoulder. 

“So tell me more about yourself,” Lucy asks.

“Well I’m in my last semester of school and of course I work at the coffee shop. Alex is my sister, she’s in grad school right now, so we both work in the morning and usually have class later in the day.” Before Kara is able to continue on, Lucy sits up and turns her head to Kara.

“Wait, wait, Alex is your sister?! How am I only finding that out now,” Lucy questions.

“Oh, did I not mention it last time? Oh, well, she’s a few years older than me and is super into science. Me? Not so much. I mean I dig science and all, but it’s not my passion, you know,” Kara explains as she continues on.

“You guys don’t look alike,” Lucy interrupts as she leans back into Kara’s shoulder.

“Oh yea. We probably wouldn’t. I’m actually adopted. I lost my parents when I was 12. My only family was my cousin and he was in no state to take care of me, so the Danvers took me in. They’ve been my family ever since. Totally forget that people don’t know that,” Kara chuckles as she rubs the back of her head. 

“Oh. Well, I’m sorry about your family but I’m glad you ended up with a loving family. I... I lost my mom when I was younger. All I have left is my older sister and dad. I don’t really talk to my dad and my sister, well, we’re not particularly close. Especially after this past year,” Lucy explains as she begins to rub her arms, willing away the tiny goosebumps that have popped up due to the slightly chill air that’s started to come with the night air. 

“I’m sorry, that’s obviously hard to deal with. I mean, the first year with the Danvers was awkward and difficult but they were pretty good about taking it easy on me, so I guess I was able to adjust pretty easily. And now, well, they’re always there for me. You know, before we started talking and hanging out, Alex used to tease me about you. Uhm, that one weekend you came in a little later? She kept telling me I should just grow a pair and talk to you and that I was being an idiot, but like... you’re very intimidating,” Kara says as she pulls the black cardigan from her shoulders. Pulling away from Lucy momentarily, she leans over and puts the piece of clothing over Lucy’s shoulder before leaning back in. Lucy pulls her arms through the cardigan as their legs hang over the edge of the bridge. Both leaning forward, toward the canyon, against a few of the many steel cables suspending the bridge. 

“I, I take offense at that,” Lucy states as she grabs Kara’s hand, “there is no way I am more intimidating than your sister. Ever since I’ve met her I always felt like she was watching me like a hawk and that she knew some kind of secret that I didn’t. It was very weird.”

“Yeah, the secret was that I think you’re gorgeous and you make me nervous and I really, really liked you,” Kara admits. 

“Really, really liked me? As in past tense,” Lucy jokes.

“No, of course not, I mean, oh gosh, I like you a lot,” Kara attempts to explain as she pulls her hands away from Lucy, trying to properly explain her emotions via hand signals. Laughing at Kara’s flustered state, Lucy brings her hands back down and leans forward to kiss Kara. The sun has already begun to dip below the world, when the orange light that’s slowly dying out begins to encompass the area around them. They’re both bathed in the last of the glowing light when their lips meet, when mouths open, when tongues dip. Feeling Kara’s thumb pressing slightly on her, Lucy places her other hand on a steel cable wiring and pushes herself forward to deepen the kiss. Kara’s kiss tastes like the splendors of a summer evening and she seems to feel it with every fiber of her being, deeply rooted in her veins, pulsating with her heart, fluttering in her stomach, engulfing her all her senses. By the time Lucy pulls back she notices that it has gotten slightly cooler, much darker, and the stars are beginning to shine a little more.

Shivering at the night air, Lucy quickly feels Kara’s arm wrap around her and pull her in closer. Turning her head slightly, she leans in for another kiss only for Kara to softly peck her lips. She rubs Lucy’s arm warmly and goes to stand up. After accepting Kara’s hand in helping her up, Lucy lifts an eyebrow while looking at Kara.

“I really like you and well... I don’t want to rush this thing,” Kara says as she gestures between the two of them, “why don’t I walk you home and then tomorrow, after I get out, we go out for lunch and maybe hang out some more” Kara offers as she straps on her backpack and begins tugging Lucy off the bridge.

“Yeah, yeah. Okay. That actually sounds nice,” Lucy admits as she walks off with Kara, fingers laced with each other.

“Uhm, if you want to meet me there, I get off at 2,” Kara offers as the pair make their way through the streets.

“That sounds great. Why don’t we just play tomorrow by ear when you get off,” Lucy offers as she places her fingers around the opening of Kara’s cardigan and pulls her in for another kiss. Feeling Kara’s response, Lucy tongue caresses Kara’s lips and she slips her tongue in further. After a moment, Lucy softly lets go of Kara’s cardigan and slides her arms around Kara’s neck and pulls her down further, responding to Kara with far more intensity than earlier. When she starts to feel Kara slightly caress her hip, she feels a natural desire to push her body further into Kara. When she feels Kara’s thumb press down on her hip, a gasp flows out of her before she could continue the kiss. Feeling the change in pace, Kara pulls back and lets go of Lucy for a moment.

It is when Kara is nearly two feet away that she sees Kara jump in the air and punch the air. Laughing at Kara’s response, Lucy grabs Kara’s arm and pulls her into a hug. The closer Kara gets, the brighter the blush Lucy is able to see from the street light. 

“Good second date,” Lucy smiles as they begin their descent down a steep hill.

“Best second date,” Kara responds as she tightens her hand around Lucy’s.

Lucy can practically see Kara floating as they round the corner into her block. By the time they make it to the front lobby, Kara’s blush is still pretty noticeable and the smile that’s been locked on her face is just as detectable. As Lucy fishes for her keys and unlocks the lobby door, she feels Kara tap her shoulder. Turning her head, she looks up at Kara with a questioning glance.

“Lucy, I had a blast tonight. Thank you for going out with me.”

“There’s no need to thank me. I enjoyed it too, you know,” Lucy finishes as she leans up to kiss Kara one last time, “I will see you tomorrow?”

“Yes, yes, tomorrow,” Kara affirms as she leans in for another kiss. 

As Lucy goes to step inside, she turns and gives a small wave and smiles at Kara. Kara stays standing by the lobby, an enormous smile playing at her lips. By the time she presses the elevator button, Karahas turned her body away but is still facing Lucy. It’s only after the elevator door closes that Kara heads home.


End file.
